The highest court in the Netherlands handed down a disappointing verdict for Apple on Friday, finding its claims that Samsung had infringed on the design of its iPad to be invalid.

The court's ruling will likely put an end to Apple's efforts to get Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned from import into the Netherlands, according toNu.nl (viaSamMobile). Apple holds a design patent in Europe on the iPad, but the Supreme Court limited the applicability of that design patent, claiming prior art.

With a few exceptions here and there, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 reproduces much of the look and feel of Apple's original iPad, which featured similar materials. One of the larger issues in the case was the "rounded-rectangle" aspect of the iPad, a feature for which Apple has secured design patents wherever possible around the world.

The Court allowed that the iPad had a "unique character," but that alone was not enough to secure a victory for Apple. The Court pointed to concepts such as the Knight Ridder tablet — the design of which predates the iPad by some 15 years — and said that the design of Samsung's tablets differs enough from the iPad that an informed user could easily tell the difference.

The ruling comes as final confirmation of a ruling from last year, in which a Dutch appeals court also rejected Apple's claim of infringement.

Apple has had mixed luck in the Netherlands in its years-long patent struggle against Samsung. In October of last year, a Dutch court found that had not infringed on Apple's pinch-to-zoom patent. Samsung representatives were pleased with Friday's verdict.

"Apple was not the first tablet designed with a rectangular shape and rounded corners," Samsung Netherlands reps said. "No company should have a monopoly on general design."

I'd agree with at least one part of the verdict - How anybody could confuse a piece of sh*t Android tablet to an iPad is beyond me. Apple builds quality products whereas Android is slapped on any piece of garbage.

I'd agree with at least one part of the verdict - How anybody could confuse a piece of sh*t Android tablet to an iPad is beyond me. Apple builds quality products whereas Android is slapped on any piece of garbage.

Isn't that what the UK judge said? And then made Apple apologize?

The US justice system and its judges are starting to look good, by comparison....

and said that the design of Samsung's tablets differs enough from the iPad that an informed user could easily tell the difference.

This is a bad judgement from the court and their argument is weak.

How can they claim that an "informed user" can easily tell the difference, when Samsung's own lawyers could not tell the difference? The average person probably thinks that all tablets are iPads.

Anyway, this is not really that big of a deal. Anybody who buys a Samsung tablet, either informed or not informed, gets what they deserve, and they will receive no pity or sympathy from me.

Anybody who ends up with an Android tablet is doomed to a tablet life of misery, frustration and despair, leading Fandroid morons to endlessly post stupid things on the web, like "When is this game coming out for Android?". Go check out the comments on various places for the huge Star Wars RPG (one of the best RPG's of all time) that just got released for the iPad, and check out how many moronic Fandroids ask when it's coming out for Android?

"the design of Samsung's tablets differs enough from the iPad that an informed user could easily tell the difference."

That leaves too wide a gap for too many users to buy Samsung Tablet, thinking that it's either The Same Thing as iPad, or Almost The Same Thing, but for less money!!!

It'd be great if Apple had Infomercials Videos on its site that would help people make a More Informed Choice!

Let those Videos go through the Differences between iPad and Android Tablets, or even between iPhones and Android Phones!
The could Blur the Names of the Competing Devices, if need be for Legal Reasons!
The Videos would show what Apple Products do, and its advantages!

But the flip side is that it would invite Tit for Tat War of Ads?!

So maybe the best thing would be to have more Show And Tell Videos on Apple Site, and demonstrate the Main Features Usage in Daily Lives?